Apparatus for obtaining oxids of alkaline metals.



No. 790.922. PATENTED MAY 30, 1905.

U. W. ROEPPER & W. E. HARMON. APPARATUS POR OBTAINING OXIDS 0F ALKALINE METALS.

APPLICATION FILED JULY 22,1903.

4 SHEETS-SHEET 1 WlTNESSES:

No. 790,922. PATENTBD MAY so, 1905.

o. W. RQEPPER @L HARMON. APPARATUS POR OBTAINING o 0F ALKALINB METALS.

APPLICATION FILED JULY 22,1903.

4 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

WITNESSES: I INVENToRs;

No. 790,922. PATENTED MAY 30, 1905. C. W. ROEPPER & W. E. HARMON. APPARATUS FOR OBTAININGOXIDS OP ALKALINE METALS.

APPLICATION I'LED JULY 22.1903.

4 SHEETS-SHEET 3.

R INVENTORS 4T 5 w ab? WITN ESS ES:

Myz/w/D No. 790,922. PATENTBD MA1T so, 1905. G. W. ROBPPER & W. E. HARMON.

APPARATUS FOR OBTAINING oxlns of ALKALINB METALS.

APPLICATION FILED JULY 22,1903.

4 SHEETS--SHEBT 4.

FIG. Z

INVENTORS WITN ESS ES:

No. 790,922. Patented May 30, 1905.

Trice.

DTTED STATES PATENT CHARLES vW. ROEPPER, OF PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA, AND I/VILLIS E. HARMON, OF MECHANIC FALLS, MAINE, ASSIGNORS TO AMERICAN ELECTROLYTIC COMPANY, A CORPORATION OF DELAWARE.

APPARATUS FOR OBTAINING OXIDS OF ALKALINE NIETALS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 790,922, dated May 30, 1905.

vr'tpplication iled July 22, 1903. Serial No. 166,517.

T @U 1077/0777/ it WWW @0W/@WW or, as we have usually termed it, a discharg- Be it known that we, CHARLES W. ROEPPER, ing-surface, and this application discloses varesiding at 133 Phil-Ellena street, Germanrious means for abnormally increasing the town, in the city and county of Philadelphia amount of discharging-surface to which the 5 and State of Pennsylvania, and WILLIS E. amalgam is brought into contact prior to its HARMON, a residentof Mechanic Falls, State return to the amalgamating compartment. of Maine, citizens of the United States, have Our present invention is based upon the disinvented certain new and usefulApparatus for covery that the most available and most use- Obtaining OXids of Alkaline Metals, of which ful part of the apparatus to employ for the I0 the following is a specification, reference bepurpose of providing this discharging-surface ing had to the accompanying drawings. is found in the wheel or transferring device by Our invention relates to an apparatus suitwhich the circulation of the mercury is efable for the practice of those processes in which fected; and to this end it consists in constructalkaline oXids or hydroxids are obtained by ing the wheel (or at least that part of it which I5 tirst decomposing a salt of an alkaline or alcomes into contact with the amalgam) of iron kaline-earth metal in the presence of mercury or nickel or carbon or other suitable electricwith formation of alkaline amalgam and subally-conductive material and also in so consequently causing the amalgam to yield up its structing the wheel (as by the provision of alkaline element, usually in the form of an pockets) as to increase the extent of the con- 20 hydrated oXid. These may be called mer- `tact of the amalgam with these conducting or curial alkaline processes. Itis usual in such discharging surfaces during its transference processes to have an apparatus divided into by the wheel. In the same connection certwo compartments, which may be called the tain other details relating to the construction amalgamating and the deamalgamating of the transferring-wheel have been invented 25 compartments, and to provide means for conby us and are included in this application and tinuously circulating the liquid amalgam will be described later on. which occupies the bottom ofY both of these In the accompanyingdrawings, Figurel is a compartments from one to the other and back plan view of atypical form of apparatus which again. In the amalgamating compartment may be used for the practice of mercurial al- 30 alkaline amalgam is continuously formedkaline processes. Fig. 2 is a vertical crossusually by electrolytic means. In the desection along the line 2 2, Fig. 1. Figs. 3 amalgamating-cornpartment the alkaline eleand 4 are respectively a partial longitudinal 8O ment is continuously given oif in the form of section and a cross-section of a wheel conhydrated oXid to w-ater resting upon the amalstructed in accordance with our invention for 3 5 gam. This disengagement is sometimes efuse as transferring and discharging device in fected electrolytically; but it is sometimes such an apparatus. Figs. 5 and are respecotherwise effected, as the alkaline element in tively a partial elevation and an end view of the amalgam continuously tends to associate another form of wheel which may be similarly itself with the water in the form of hydrated used as a transferring and discharging device.

40 oXid. It was discovered by one of us and Figs. 7 and 8 are respectivelya partial elevaforms the subject-matter of an application tion and alongitudinalsection of anotherform for Letters Patent of the United States, filed of wheel which may be so used. Fig. 9 is a 9o August 20, 1902, Serial No. 120,825, that in cross-section of still another form of wheel. apparatus of this description the tendency of Referring to Figs. I and 2, which repre- 45 'the alkaline element to disassociate itself from sent, as we have stated, merely a typical form the amalgam occurs most markedly in those of apparatus, A is a boX or receptacle of recplaces where both the amalgam and the water tangular shape. It is divided into compartare in joint contact with a conducting-surface ments by partitions c c c2. Of these partitions a and a do not reach the bottom of the box, which is provided with transverse grooves or depressions 7) opposite to the lower edges of the partitions, thus permitting free passage of a liquid from the bottom of one compartment to another. Compartment B to the left of partition a we term the deamalgamating-compartment. Compartment C between partitions a and a we term the amalgamating compartment. Compartment D to the right of partition of a may be termed the preliminary compartment. Alongside of these compartments runs the return-way E, formed by the partition a2. The deamalgamating-compartment is in communication at the bottom with the retu rn-way by the passage e. The preliminary compartment is likewise in communication at its bottom with the return-way by the passage e. All of these compartments are filled at the bottom with mercury or amalgam to about the level indicated by the line m fr, and by reason of the communications which have been referred to this body of mercury is continuous. Its circulation is caused by the wheel F, mounted transversely between the walls of the deamalgamating-compartment, the ou-tside wall being provided with the suit-able stufng' box Where the axle of the wheel passes through it. Upon the projecting axle is mounted a pulley f, by which the wheel may be driven. The amalgamating-compartment C is covered by a tightly-fitting lid, from the under side of which depends a series of anodes c, connected with a suitable electric circuit.

In operation the amalgamating-compartment C is filled with a solution of an alkaline salt-say sodium chlorid-the deamalgamating-compartment B and also the return-way E, containing water, resting upon the mercury or amalgam. A suitable electrical connection is made-as, for instance, at ,7c-whereby the body of mercury is constituted a cathode in the electrical circuit which contains the anodes c. In compartment B the revolution of the wheel F causes constant circulation of the amalgam, drawing it from the amalgamating-compartment C, under the partition a, into the deamalgamating-compartment B, thence into the return-way E, thence to the compartment D, and thence back into the amalgamating-compartment. Under the electrolytic action of the current the sodium chlorid in the amalgamating-compartment is continuously decomposed, the sodium uniting with the amalgam to form an alkaline amalgam. As it is formed this amalgam is drawn into the deamalgamating-compartment where the water resting upon the amalgam continuously takes up the alkaline element from the amalgam in the form of hydrated oxid. Hitherto the wheel F, by which the circulation of the mercury is effected, has been formed of an electrically non-conducting surface. Our present invention consists in making this wheel of an electrically-conductive substance, preferably iron or carbon. We find that by so doing the discharge of the alkaline element from the amalgam into the water which rests upon it is very much facilitated. Thus the wheel instead of being merely a transferring device becomes both a Atransferring and discharging device.

W'e will now describe in detail the construction of various forms of transferring and discharging wheels which have been devised by us and which we find to be especially adapted to perform this double function.

In Figs. 3 and 4 it will be noted that the wheel has the same general construction as that shown in Figs. l and 2, being provided with a series of longitudinal inclined peripheral slots or pockets m. These slots or pockets are more or less filled with granules or lumps or pieces of electrically conductive material, such as lumps of iron or carbon or other conducting material. To retain this material in the pockets, Athe periphery of the wheel is surrounded with a netting of wiregauze M. As the wheel rotates with its lower part immersed in the amalgam and its upper part in the water the pockets continually fill themselves with amalgam. The further rotation of the Wheel lifts this body of mercury, which is distributed among the carbon or metallic material placed in the pocket, and as the position of the pocket with reference to the axis of the wheel changes there are provided an immense number of conductingsurfaces in joint contact with amalgam and water, thereby effecting a continuous rapid discharge of the alkaline element .from the amalgam into the water. The further rotation of the wheel throws the mercury, thus more or less completely freed of its alkaline elements, forward from the wheel over the dam z', which crosses' the deamalgamating-compartment immediately in front of it.

In Figs. 5 and 6 we have illustrated a wheel of different construction. It is made of metal, preferably of iron, and differs from that shown in Figs. l and 2 in that the discharge of the amalgam from the pockets m is not effected over the edge of the pocket on the far side of the wheel, but is effected through the axleof the wheel which discharges directly into the return-way E. For this purpose the longer fiat side of each of the pockets fm. is provided with a groove n, preferably near its outer edge, and this groove slopes in the direction of the end of the wheel which is in proximity to the return-way. From the lowest end of this' groove a channel n leads directly into the hollow axle of the wheel, which, passing through partition a2, opens and discharges into the return-way. The hollow axle of the wheel may either form a common dischargeway or it may be subdivided, as shown in Fig. 6, by webs Z Z into as many separate discharge-ways as the wheel contains pockets,

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and in this case each one of the channels n will communicate with its separate dischargeway, for which purpose said channels will be placed somewhat out of alinement, as shown in Fig. 5. In this form of wheel the amalgam as it is lifted by the rising pocket is caused to run rapidly to the discharge end thereof along the grooves n, and in so doing the requisite discharging-surface is provided. If desired, this form of wheel may be associated with the introduction of loose conducting material into the pockets, as in the wheel figured in Figs. 3 and 4, and held therein by wire-gauze, as there shown.

In Figs. 7 and 8 we have shown a transferring and discharging wheel which differs from the preceding in working upon the undershot principle-that is to say, the lower and not the upper side of the wheel rotates forwardly. As before, the wheel is preferably constructed of iron and is provided with longitudinal webs 1'. As the wheel tits somewhat closely against the bottom of the deamalgamatingcompartment, these webs continuously push or scrape the mercury along the bottom over the dam t', whence the mercury Hows back into the return-way. To increase the discharging-surface of a wheel of this description, the compartments between the webs r are subdivided by a number of segmental plates s, fitting into the compartments and forming circumferential flanges. These plates are held in place properly spaced by being stru ng upon a bar S, running from one end of the wheel to the other in each compartment and carrying spacing-washers between the plates. All of these parts being, as before, of an electrically-conducting substance, the amalgam in the course of its transference from one side of the wheel to the other is brought into continuously-shifting contact with the water and the discharging-surfaces.

In Fig. 9 we have illustrated a form of wheel working upon the overshot principle in which the pockets m are subdivided into numerous smaller compartments by wire plates or perforated metal plates forming circumferential flanges. In the ligure, t t t t represent wire plates, and t a perforated metal plate, while at t2 a solid metal plate is shown. These are strung upon longitudinal bars S, as in the wheel previously described, being thereby held in place within the pockets and being spaced thereon by spacing-washers.

It will be understood that the various forms of transferring and discharging wheels which we have thus described are merely typical and that the principle of making the transferringwheel of an electrically-conductive material and providing' it with abnormally-increased discharging-surfaces admits of indefinite variation in detail.

We have spoken of the wheel as itself formed of metal, such as cast-iron. The actual material of the body of the wheel is, however, comparatively immaterial provided the surfaces thereof which come into joint contact with the water and amalgam are made of electrically-conductive material. Thus a properly-shaped wooden wheel may have its surfaces covered with iron or other conducting material and will then be equally effective for the purposes described.

In the form of apparatus described in Figs. l and 2 we have shown no other discharging device than the wheel. Of course other discharging' devices may be associated with the wheel-as, for instance, discharg'ing-shoes iigured in an application filed August 20, 1902, Serial No. 120,325, heretofore referred to by us-'and such additional discharging devices may be situated in the deamalgamating-compartment on either side of the wheel or in the return-way. It will be further understood that if the wheel is formed of a conducting substance which is at the same time magneticnas, for instance, iron-the discharging capacity may be increased by magnetizing it; but this forms no part of our present application.

Having thus described our invention, we claiml. In an apparatus for the practice of mercurial alkaline processes, a transferring-wheel for effecting circulation of the mercury, formed of electrically-conductive material, and provided with pockets for carrying the mercury and also for increasing' the extent of the discharging-surface in contact with the amalgam.

2. In an apparatus for the practice of mercurial alkaline processes; a wheel of electrically-conductive material mounted in the deam algamating-compartment, and dipping both below the water and the amalgam therein; and pockets formed in the periphery of the wheel.

3. In an apparatus for the practice of mercurial alkaline processes; an iron wheel mounted transversely in the deamalgamating-compartment, and dipping below both the water and the amalgam therein; and fitted with longitudinal peripheral pockets, substantially as described.

4. In an apparatus for the practice of mercurial alkaline processes; a transferring-wheel, the pockets whereof contain pieces of electrically-conductive material; in combination with means for retaining' such pieces within the pockets during the rotation of the wheel, without interfering with the entrance and discharge of the amalgam therefrom, substantially as described.

5. In an apparatus for the practice of mercurial alkaline processes; a wheel for circulating the amalgam; fitted with pockets containing a quantity of loose pieces of electricallyconductive material; and with wire -gauze around the periphery of the wheel whereby IOO IIO

provided with electrically-conductive perforated plates forming circumferential flanges, partially subdividingsaid pockets into smaller compartments, and facilitating the .discharge 0f the alkaline element from the amalgam, substantially as described.

In Witness whereof we have signed our names to this specification, this 9th day of July, A. D. 1903, in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

CHARLES W. ROEPPER. WILLIS E. HARMON. Witnesses:

JAMES H. BELL, M. K. TRUMBORE. 

